Saturday, December 31, 2011

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

We had a wonderful, lazy Christmas and week this year. Since Christmas Eve and Day were on a weekend, Adam was off Christmas Eve all day, instead of a half day, and worked only a half day on the 23rd. We all have really, really enjoyed spending more time with him.

On Christmas Eve we went to Mass at church. The weather has been super abornormally warm and we didn't freeze waiting outside. Mass was said by our new preist (his first Christmas Eve Mass) and the archbishop. I really like Fr. M but I felt bad that his first Christmas Eve Mass was said with the archbishop. Fr. M was clearly nervous but he did a wonderful job- what I heard anyway. Cole was in rare form and we were up, down and all around everywhere.

We came home, relaxed and had Trader Joe's pizza for dinner before leaving donuts for Santa. The kids didn't really have a hard time going to sleep. Joseph woke us all at six am wanting to open presents. We told him to wait 15 minutes... and he counted down ever second until 6:15 exactly.

Okay big dude. Santa was good to you!

Lego, curcuit sets, lego and books....

and Nerf....

But his BIG present was a Lego table to keep in his room so he could build his projects on it without getting little pieces all over his room or having his brothers bother it.

Georgie recieved Duplo, Buzz Lightyear and a horse trailer with horses and Cole got two more Thomas Early Engineer sets. He was so cute! He knew how to open them and said "Ta da!" when he saw his presents. Between the three boys, we have increased our "toys with wheels" and "things that go down ramps or tracks" collection by about ten thousand. Kanani has long hair and my brother in law gave Camille a "Tangle" doll, so now we have tons of doll hair to get tangled in the wheels!

I kinda wish everyday was Christmas. Everyone was so quiet and played nicely. Joseph and Camille have been experiementing with Joseph's curcuit set. The little boys have been playing with trains and crashing into everything. Adam and I have been able to sleep in most mornings and we both really, really needed the sleep.﻿

This week a good friend of mine came into town. We took our girls shopping at the American Girl store and checked out a couple of stores. We used to get together to roam the malls and chat but then she moved away and I haven't gotten out to the stores in ages. In some ways, that's good because I don't spend money but I really miss getting out of the house! I met up with two additional friends today and we all went out to lunch. I was gone five hours and needed every moment of that break. Aside from lunch, I only bought some candles on sale (Advent candles and bayberry candles) but it was nice to get OUT with friends. We didn't even talk about kids much or kid problems. We joked alot and talked poltics. Normally, poltical stuff is a no-no in mixed company but we are all such good friends we can chat about it and no one minds differences of opinions.

Now I am hanging on the couch watching season two of the Muppets with the older kids. I think it might be an up and down night for Cole. We are slowly night weaning, so I rock him if he wakes but I don't nurse him. I actually read on the iPad if I have to settle him again. Let me tell you, reading a book while comforting a kid makes the night go SO much faster!

I think 2011 was a good year. Nothing MAJOR happened- no new babies for us, no pregnancy. Cole is out of a crib and we are rapidly putting the baby stage behind us. I'm pretty okay with that. We got a dx for Georgie and he's getting real help. Joseph is turning into a kid- not a toddler or preschooler but just a kid. Camille started school and is maturing. It's been a good year for us and I hope 2012 is more of the same!